Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite images are used to monitor Arctic sea ice, with systematic data records dating back to 1991. We propose a semi-supervised classification method that separates open water from sea ice and can utilise ERS-1/2, Envisat ASAR, RADARSAT-2 and Sentinel-1 SAR images. The classification combines automatic segmentation with a manual segment selection stage. The ...

This is a high-level report that summarizes the main achievements and results of the research and development conducted in the project “Mapping and Characterization of unstable slopes with Sentinel-1 multi-geometry InSAR (activity line 2: public sector applications)”, where multi-geometry Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) is used for improving characterization of unstable ...

The warming and subsequent degradation of mountain permafrost within alpine areas represent an important process influencing the stability of steep slopes and rock faces. The unstable and monitored slopes of Mannen (Møre and Romsdal county, southern Norway) and Gámanjunni-3 (Troms and Finnmark county, northern Norway) were classified as high-risk sites by the Norwegian Geological Survey (NGU). ...

Mountain slopes in periglacial environments are affected by frost- and gravity-driven processes that shape the landscape. Both rock glaciers and rockslides have been intensively inventoried worldwide. Although most inventories are traditionally based on morphologic criteria, kinematic approaches based on satellite remote sensing have more recently been used to identify moving landforms at the regional ...

Many Arctic marine-terminating glaciers have undergone rapid retreats in recent decades. Seasonal and year-to-year variations in terminus position act on all tidewater glaciers, but the key controls on those changes vary from region to region. Here, we examined seasonal and decadal changes in termini positions of seven tidewater glaciers in the inner part of Hornsund, the southernmost fjord of ...

Nordenskiöld Land in Central Spitsbergen, Svalbard is characterized as a high latitude, high relief periglacial landscape with permafrost occurring both in mountains and lowlands. Freezing and thawing of the active layer causes seasonal frost heave and thaw subsidence, while permafrost-related mass-wasting processes induce downslope ground displacements on valley sides. Displacement rate varies ...

Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) is an international partnership of research institutions studying the environment and climate in and around Svalbard. SIOS is developing an efficient observing system, where researchers share technology, experience, and data, work together to close knowledge gaps, and decrease the environmental footprint of science. SIOS maintains and facilitates ...

Calving of icebergs at the tidewater glacier fronts is a component of the mass loss in Polar regions. Studying the regional distribution of icebergs, their volume, motion, and interaction with the environment is of interest. Here, we present the results from a fieldwork campaign conducted in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard in April 2016, where both satellite and ground-based remote sensing instruments were ...